Just some food for thought with respect to exhausted or sick riders. I have
voluntarily pulled at least twice because of heat and once I did not pull
but wound up fairly ill following a tough 50 due to heat exhaustion.. I
tried to do a 25 last spring and only made it about 16 miles. I was so sick
I could hardly stay on the horse, which is my point: What are we trying to
prove when we ride and are that sick? Surely we must be communicating our
fatigue and illness to the horse. I know I was not able ride appropriately
and it was idiotic of me to be out on the trail, but I felt it was my God-
given right as an endurance rider to suffer. Turns out on the ride last
spring I had pneumonia. I think next time I shall listen to my body as
carefully as I monitor my horse.